Cover Priyageetha Dia (Photo: Priyageetha Dia and NTU CCA)
Priyageetha Dia (Photo: Priyageetha Dia and NTU CCA)
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From explorations of history, nature and identity to multidisciplinary presentations, the artistic practices of Robert Zhao Renhui, Priyageetha Dia and Ezzam Rahman challenge perception and provoke introspection, making them some of the most promising artists working in Singapore today
In 2017, a 25-year-old Priyageetha Dia embarked on a transformative final-year project for her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Lasalle College of the Arts. She covered a staircase in her Jalan Rajah HDB block in Balestier with gold foil. “I wanted to make an everyday space interesting,” she shares. Despite her apprehension about the potential consequences and regulatory uncertainties, she spent five hours on this artistic endeavour. Drawing on her family’s history as goldsmiths, she chose gold to revitalise the public space. The Jalan Besar Town Council labelled Dia’s work as unauthorised, sparking debates on the nature of public art. The work, as you would imagine, immediately drew parallels to street artist Sam Lo’s well-known public art project in 2012 that would see them arrested that same year and charged in 2013.
Reflecting on that period, Dia says: “Honestly, I was unaware of the history and dynamics of street art back then. My focus was simply on using public space for my artwork to exist. I didn’t realise there were different levels of understanding in street art and I certainly didn’t expect my work to be categorised as such. The comparison of my work to that of Sam’s, who was known as ‘Sticker Lady’ then, was unexpected. My approach was to understand the work through theory, which at that time was quite Western-centric in its understanding of space and the phenomena around it.”
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Above Priyageetha Dia
Priyageetha Dia
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From this initial controversy, Dia, who was awarded the Impart Art Prize by Art Outreach Singapore in 2019, has grown into a respected artist patronised by both private collectors and public institutions—her works have featured in exhibitions held at the nation’s Singapore Art Museum, National Gallery Singapore and the ArtScience Museum, as well as Australia’s La Trobe Art Institute.
Her current body of work delves into transnational migration and colonial impacts in Southeast Asia. “This interest actually came about after the golden staircase project, which drew significant criticism regarding my identity as a minority woman,” says Dia, who had stints as an artist-in-residence at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA) Singapore in 2022 and Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands from April to July 2023, the latter as part of SEA AiR— Studio Residencies for Southeast Asian Artists in the European Union, a programme funded by the European Union. “This scrutiny inspired me to explore my role within Singapore and the broader Southeast Asian context, [which] led me to look into my family’s history with rubber plantations.” This exploration uncovered multifaceted stories of indentured labour and the complexities of plantation life, often overshadowed in mainstream narratives.
Dia’s art is diverse, spanning performance, video, photography and installation. Her recent sound piece Sap Sonic, accompanied by the text installation, Sap Script, for NTU CCA Singapore highlights her eclectic approach. “I don’t confine myself to a single medium,” she asserts. “Different forms overlap and enrich [one another].”
The Covid-19 pandemic prompted Dia to shift her focus to digital mediums. “Without access to a studio, I questioned whether I could afford to continue,” says Dia, who is currently represented by Yeo Workshop. “I taught myself 3D animation through YouTube tutorials, discovering a new realm of artistic expression.”
On paper, Dia certainly looks like a success, with works presented by both National Gallery Singapore and the Singapore Art Museum, inclusion at significant international fairs and exhibitions, and, if rumours are to be believed, inclusion in a specially curated exhibition at the upcoming Venice Biennale 2024. But she will be the first to tell you that it has been a tough journey so far. “I haven’t had an easy journey in establishing myself as an artist,” she admits. “I’ve worked in various roles to support myself. I taught art classes for children and was involved in digital marketing. I have conducted various enrichment classes and have taken on numerous freelance design jobs. At one point, I even considered becoming a barista because I heard the pay was SG$3,000 a month. This year marks the beginning of my full-time career as an artist, but the previous five years were a major struggle.”
Her deep dive into plantation history has been particularly impactful. She delved into her family’s involvement with rubber plantations, uncovering overlooked narratives. “When I started my research on rubber plantations, I realised that many narratives, particularly within the context of Singapore and the broader Malay Peninsula, were often overlooked or buried. The complexity of these histories, especially concerning the indentured labour system and its manifestations, was more intricate than I initially thought,” Dia reveals. This exploration included in-depth conversations with family members and field visits to plantations, some transformed into Airbnb experiences. “Being on-site is crucial to fully comprehend these histories,” she emphasises.
“Discussing these topics with curators, I recognised that plantation history was seldom a focal point in Singaporean discourse. I felt a strong need to bring these stories to light, to ensure they’re remembered and acknowledged,” shares Dia. “The first work where I truly explored labour and plantations was the Forget Me, Forget Me Not (2022) project. My research typically begins with archival sources. However, I noticed a significant gap in these archives, particularly in documenting the journey into Malaya. This absence compelled me to adopt a speculative approach in my work, creating narratives to fill these gaps. For instance, in The Sea Is a Blue Memory (2022), shown at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2022-2023, I focused on the less-documented aspects of labour migration to Malaya.” This month, Dia will present a body of work titled Turbine Tropics, which continues her research into plantation histories, at the YAL Foundation during Singapore Art Week 2024.
Above An installation view of Forget Me, Forget Me Not (2022) by Priyageetha Dia at Yeo Workshop. (Photo: Yeo Workshop)
An installation view of Forget Me, Forget Me Not (2022) by Priyageetha Dia at Yeo Workshop. (Photo: Yeo Workshop)
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During her residency at the Singapore Management University, Dia investigated Cold War history, focusing on a Pan Malayan Federation leader who unionised plantation labourers during the Malayan Emergency. This figure, notable for his influential speeches, was ultimately executed by the British after being falsely charged with firearm possession. “These kinds of overlooked and uncounted histories are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of Singapore’s past,” notes Dia,
Dia’s art transcends mere expression, becoming a powerful conduit for unearthing and illuminating the obscured narratives of Southeast Asia’s history. Her journey is a testament to the transformative nature of art in revisiting and reinterpreting the complexities of regional heritage, especially the profound and often untold stories of plantation economies.
Priyageetha Dia will be performing a reading and live mixing at A Passage to Dreamworld on 20th January 2024, 4pm at 38 Malan Road. A Passage to Dreamworld is a public programme held in conjunction with Passages, an exhibition of the second cycle of SEA AiR – Studio Residencies for Southeast Asian artists in the European Union.
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